Steven Sater is an American poet, playwright, lyricist, television writer, and screenwriter. Born in Evansville, Indiana, Sater attended Washington University in St. Louis as an undergraduate. After completing his graduate program, Sater took a position with a New York literary agent, but continued to write plays on the side. Soon after meeting Duncan Sheik, Sater collaborated with him on his play Umbrage, with Sheik providing the music for Sater's lyrics. To produce Sheik's third studio album Phantom Moon, Sater gave Sheik lyrics and Sheik set them musically, cooperatively producing the album. They returned to stage to produce Nero at the Magic Theatre in San Francisco, California, with book and lyrics by Sater and music by Sheik. Sater and Sheik continued their stage work with Spring Awakening, a musical interpretation of German playwright Frank Wedekind's play of the same name. In 2007, Sater won two Tony Awards for his work on Spring Awakening. He won the Tony for Best Book and Best Musical Score, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics, and the Outer Critic Circle Award for Best Lyrics.
